Station for Gymnastics in Water

ABSTRACT

The station comprises a tub suited to be filled with water and shaped to receive a user partially immersed therein, and a gymnastics device comprising a frame receivable within the tub and supporting a seat and a revolving pedal crank that is arranged in front of the seat. The pedal crank is pivotally supported on supports integral with the frame and provided with three hinge seats which are differently spaced from the seat and are selectively engageable by the pedal crank.

The present invention relates to a station for gymnastics in water.

Advantages coming from doing gymnastics in water have been known for many years. To this purpose, swimming-pools, sports centers and the like, as well as clinics and physio-therapy institutes, are often provided with large basins for physical training in water, sometimes with groups of persons under the supervision of a qualified trainer, e.g., for post-traumatic rehabilitation, muscle-reinvigorating exercises for old persons or athletes, and the like. The wall of the basin is usually provided with handrails to which a user can cling for carrying out particular exercises or for helping himself to keep his balance while walking in the water.

Nevertheless, devices are widespread for physical training in the home or in exercise rooms of a traditional gymnasium, such as cyclettes, rowing machines, tapis roulants, steppers, and the like, as well as various types of multifunctional exercise machines, none of which, however, provides that the user does gymnastics while plunged in the water.

Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a station for gymnastics which allows physical exercises to be carried out in the water, and which is suited for home use or for training in exercise rooms of a traditional gymnasium.

Said object and other aims and advantages, which will better appear from the following description, are achieved by a station for gymnastics in water having the features recited in claim 1, while the other claims state other advantageous, though secondary features of the invention.

The invention will be now described in more detail with reference to a preferred embodiment, shown by way of non limiting example in the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a station for gymnastics in water according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the station of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the station of FIG. 1 in association with a user.

With reference to the above Figures, a station for gymnastics in water 10 according to this invention comprises a tub 12 provided with two side walls having a semicircular profile 14, 16 and joined along their round edges by a bent bottom wall 18. Tub 12 is supported on four feet 20 adjustable for height and welded to bottom wall 18, and is provided with a beveled border 22.

A first gymnastics device 24 is housed within tub 12. Gymnastics device 24 comprises a longitudinal frame consisting of a pair of arched lateral rods 26, 28 joined by a transverse rod 30 at the front longitudinal end of the frame. A seat 32 is welded to lateral rods 26, 26 at the opposite, or rear, longitudinal end of the frame. Seat 32 consists of a perforated metal plate that is bent to form a seat base 32 a with a seat back 32 b. The ends of lateral rods 26, 28 are provided with respective rubber caps 34 by which the lateral rods lie on bottom wall 18 of tub 12.

Three bulges in form of bosses 14 a, 14 b, 14 c and 16 a, 16 b, 16 c project inwardly at different heights from each one of side walls 14, 16 near bottom wall 18, in the area engaged by the rear ends of lateral rods 26, 28, the bosses on one wall being aligned to the bosses on the opposite wall. The bosses help in supporting the frame within the tub with a desired slope, and in preventing the frame from skidding on the bottom on the tub, particularly when subjected to the load of a user 35 sitting on seat 32.

A pedal crank 36 is supported in front of seat 32 on a pair of supports 38, 40 welded to lateral rods 26, 28 respectively. Supports 38, 40 each consist of a metal rod that is multiply bent on a vertical plane to form three semicircular hinge seats 38 a, 38 b, 38 c e 40 a, 40 b, 40 c which are progressively lower and nearer to the seat.

Pedal crank 36 consists of a metal rod that is multiply bent at right angles to define diametrically opposite portions which are parallel to the axis of rotation and are engageable by the feet of user 35. The ends of the rod 36 a, 36 b project along the axis of rotation of the pedal crank to define hinge pins for the pedal crank, and bear respective rollers 42, 43 which are pivotally supported on a pair of hinge seats 38 a, 40 a aligned to each other. Cylindrical pedals 44, 46 of a synthetic matter are mounted on the rod portions engageable by the feet of user 35.

Station 10 is provided with a second gymnastics device 48 which comprises a pair of pulleys 50, 51 which are journaled to vertical pins 52, 53 welded to the wall of the tub in front of seat 32. Pulleys 50, 51 are both engaged by an elastic belt 54 provided with a pair of handles 56, 58 fastened to the opposite ends of belt 54, by which the user can pull the belt.

The bottom wall of the tub has a draining hole 59 at its lowermost section with a overflow pipe 60 rising therefrom and terminating at a predetermined height, which defines the maximum water level for the tub.

In the use, as shown in FIG. 3, the tub is filled with water (not shown) to a desired level. Thereafter, user 35 immerges into the tub and sits on seat 32. Now, the user can alternatively or simultaneously carry out a first exercise, mainly for the lower limbs and for the abdomen muscles, by resting its feet on pedals 44, 46 and rollering pedal crank 36 in a manner similar to a cyclist, and a second exercise, mainly for the upper limbs, as well as for the torso muscles, the abdomen muscles and the back muscles, by pulling elastic belt 54 by handles 56, 58. Also, the user may carry out a further exercise for the arms, by kneeling down on the bottom of the tub and rollering the pedal crank by grasping the pedals with the hands.

Due to the shape of supports 38, 40, the position of pedal crank 36 in front of seat 32 can be selected in relation to the height of user 35 and/or to the type of exercise to carry out. In fact, for equal height, when the distance between the pedal crank and the seat is larger, the legs of the user while pedaling will be more extended on the average, while the legs will be more curled with a smaller span. As well known in the fields of phisiotherapy and sport training, this allows different areas of the muscles to be exercised depending on the specific needs.

The slope of the frame can be selected among a substantially horizontal position, with the rear ends of lateral rods 26, 28 lying on the upper bosses 14 a, 16 a, an intermediate position, with the rear ends lying on the intermediate bosses 14 b, 16 b, and a maximum slope position, with the rear ends lying on the lower bosses 14 c, 16 c.

The above frame is light and easy to remove from the tub, so that the latter can also be used as a conventional bathtub in the home.

Another important advantage of the station for gymnastics according to the invention is the low consumption of water. In fact, due to the curled posture of the user, which is almost lying down on the seat, a low level of water will be sufficient to immerge the user almost completely.

Moreover, the gymnastics devices incorporated in the station are made of components which are easy to be disassembled, so that the maintenance and the cleaning operations will be easy to be carried out, and growing of bacteria will be prevented in recesses of the frame which, otherwise, would be reached with difficulty.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, but of course many changes may be made by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the inventive concept. 

1-21. (canceled)
 22. A gymnastic device adapted to be immersed in a tub filled with water, comprising a frame supporting a seat and a revolving pedal crank which is arranged in front of the seat and is mounted on respective supports, wherein said supports each consist of a metal rod that is multiply bent to form at least two hinge seats which are differently spaced from the seat and are selectively engageable by the pedal crank.
 23. The device of claim 22, wherein said pedal crank is provided with hinge pins each having a roller mounted thereon which is journaled to a respective hinge seat.
 24. The device of claim 22, wherein said pedal crank consists of a metal rod which is multiply bent at right angles and has diametrically opposite portions parallel to the axis of rotation and engageable by the feet of a user.
 25. The device of claim 22, wherein said frame comprises two lateral mounting rods joined by a transverse rod, each of said mounting rods having a respective one of said supports connected thereto.
 26. The device of claim 25, wherein said lateral rods are downwardly arched.
 27. The device of claim 22, wherein said seat consists of a perforated metal plate that is bent to form a seat base with a seat back.
 28. The device of claim 22, further comprising a tub fillable with water and having a bottom wall adapted to support said device.
 29. The device of claim 28, also comprising at least one retaining member arranged in front of the seat at a stationary position with respect to the tub, and engaegable by an elastic belt provided with a pair of handles fastened to its ends, by which the belt can be pulled by a user sitting on seat.
 30. The device of claim 29, comprising two of said retaining members supported at equal heights and both engaged by said elastic belt.
 31. The device of claim 30, wherein each of said retaining members comprises a vertical pin welded to the wall of the tub with a pulley journaled thereto and engaged by said elastic belt.
 32. The device of claim 28, wherein said tub has two side walls having a semicircular profile and joined along their round edges by said bottom wall, said bottom wall having a correspondingly bent profile.
 33. The device of claim 28, wherein said tub has a plurality of bulges projecting inwardly at different heights, on which the frame can be selectively laid at a desired position.
 34. The device of claim 28, wherein said tub has a draining hole at its lowermost section, with a overflow pipe rising therefrom and terminating at a predetermined height defining the maximum water level for the tub. 